{title: General Taylor}
{artist: Traditional (maritime / capstan)}
{album: 19th-century capstan shanty, sung in both Atlantic and Pacific traders; references Zachary Taylor (US president, d.1850, formerly a general)}
{key: D}
{tempo: 75}
{difficulty: advanced}
{phase: 4}
{strand: M}
{feel: roar}
{lead_voice: low}
{lead_mode: call_response}
{lead_demand: moderate}
{harmony: M,H,B}
{a_cappella: yes}
{kit: acap}
{set_role: showcase}
{lang: en}
{country_tags: trad}
{copyright: pd}
{flags: a_cappella}
{tags: a-cappella,advanced,call-response,capstan,chorus,harmony,public-domain,shanty,traditional}

{c: A slow, deep capstan shanty with one of the great call-and-response choruses in the tradition. The chorus — "Walk him along, Johnny, carry him along / Carry him to the burying ground" — lands hard and gets sung in full three- and four-part harmony. The Mayne Stays' a cappella flex piece.}
{c: Three chords (D, G, A) if accompanied, but the song is traditionally and best performed a cappella. Slow, around 70-80 BPM.}

{c: ===== STRUCTURE =====}
{c: Single-line verses (shantyman) alternate with three-part chorus lines (full crew). This is the textbook short-line halyard/capstan structure.}

{start_of_verse}
[D]General Taylor [G]gained the day
{c: (CREW:) Walk him along, Johnny, carry him along}
[D]General Taylor [G]gained the day
{c: (CREW:) Carry him to the burying ground}
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
[D]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[D]Walk him along, [G]carry him along
[A]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[A]Carry him to the [D]burying ground
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
[D]General Taylor [G]died long ago
[D]Long ago, oh, [G]long ago
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
[D]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[D]Walk him along, [G]carry him along
[A]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[A]Carry him to the [D]burying ground
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
[D]We dug his grave with a [G]silver spade
[D]Lowered him down with a [G]golden chain
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
[D]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[D]Walk him along, [G]carry him along
[A]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[A]Carry him to the [D]burying ground
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
[D]On every link we [G]called his name
[D]On every link we [G]wept his pain
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
[D]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[D]Walk him along, [G]carry him along
[A]To my way, hay, [G]stormy along, John
[A]Carry him to the [D]burying ground
{end_of_chorus}

{c: ===== HARMONY ARRANGEMENT =====}
{c: This is THE three-part-harmony shanty. The chorus "walk him along, Johnny" is sung in close stacked harmony — the room should feel like a wall of voices.}
{c: Suggested voicing on D: lead D, mid F#, top A. Hold the parts steady through the entire chorus.}
{c: A cappella: pitch off a quiet starting tone. Pace yourselves — this is slow, and the held notes on "ground" need real breath support.}

{c: ===== PERFORMANCE NOTES =====}
{c: This sits in the second half of a serious set, not in the rowdy opening. After the third verse the audience usually joins the chorus by ear.}
{c: Reference recordings: The Longest Johns (modern shanty arrangement); Sea Shanties of Stan Hugill (traditional reference); Storm Weather Shanty Choir.}
{c: Many regional variants exist — floating verses about silver spades, golden chains, burying grounds. Mix and match.}